


through the years we all will be together

by sonlali



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Christmas, Family Feels, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Reminiscing, Siblings, past angst and present fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:14:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21636439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonlali/pseuds/sonlali
Summary: Based on the prompt “Remember when we were little?” (David & Alexis)Set immediately after "Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose," David and Alexis reminisce about their childhood and reflect on where their family is at now.
Relationships: Alexis Rose & David Rose
Comments: 16
Kudos: 68





	through the years we all will be together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nervouscupcakeinspace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nervouscupcakeinspace/gifts).



> [cupcake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nervouscupcakeinspace): i don't know what to say. i'm out of control. this one was one of my favorites to write because you know how much i love david and alexis stories. <3
> 
> CW: brief mentions of past drug usage
> 
> title from "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

David is in bed with the covers pulled up to his chin, staring at an ugly stain on the ceiling. He’s been staring at that stain for at least 20 minutes because he can’t fall asleep. He’s still too keyed up from his dad’s impromptu Christmas bonanza. He had an unexpectedly good time—and secretly really enjoyed seeing how happy it made his father—but spending that much time around an excitable crowd of people is always so draining for David. 

By the time all of their guests had finally filed out, David had been expected to help tidy up and continue making small talk with his parents when really he just wanted to be alone in silence. Alexis finally managed to get their parents into their own room by casually commenting that she had seen some of the townspeople trying on Moira’s wigs. Their mother had shrieked and ran from the room with their father trailing behind and calmly attempting to placate her. Alexis gave David one of her weird two-eyed winks and shut the door behind them. 

This much socializing always makes David feel both exhausted and on edge. No matter how much he wills his body to go to sleep, his brain continues to buzz from overstimulation. He tries to focus on counting his breaths and relaxing his tense muscles. 

On the other side of the room, Alexis is quiet. She often talks in her sleep and always makes this annoying groaning sound that David supposes equates to her version of snoring, so he thinks probably she’s awake too. David counts five more breaths and wonders what is keeping Alexis up. He doesn’t have to wonder for long.

“Remember when we were little?” Alexis’ voice breaks the silence. 

David isn’t really in the mood to talk, so he just hums in response.

“Mom was always high on benzos or whatever and Dad was always so… checked out. Like he barely even noticed we were there.”

David hums again and focuses on another stain on the ceiling. This one looks kind of like a rabbit. An image suddenly fills his mind of Alexis at around four years old clutching her stuffed rabbit and staring at where their mom was passed out on the settee, her wig crooked and lipstick smeared, but otherwise looking just as elegant as always. 

Alexis had turned her huge aqua eyes on David as if hoping he could explain or maybe fix the situation somehow. He still remembers the green velvet dress Alexis was wearing. She had a clip in her hair shaped like a star and he thought she looked like a Christmas tree. He had dragged her away and distracted her with cookies until they both vomited red and green sprinkles.

David shakes his head to rid himself of the memory and turns away from the rabbit-shaped stain, lying on his side and facing Alexis. She rolls to her side in a mirror of David’s position, those same big blue eyes peering at him inquisitively. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I remember,” he finally whispers.

“It was always just you and me and Adelina. It felt like Mom and Dad didn’t even exist. Or like they didn’t remember we existed. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I know.” David closes his eyes against a sudden prick of tears.

“It just always felt so empty and lonely in the house, like, everything was beautiful and soooo much nicer than all this.” Alexis twirls her wrist vaguely, presumably referring to the motel in its entirety. “But even though everything was so nice, it just felt so… I don’t know… like a deserted island.”

“Ha!” David scoffs. “ _You_ felt like it was deserted? _You_ felt lonely?”

“Well, yeah, David! That’s what I’m trying to say here.” Alexis widens her eyes and shakes her head irritably. 

“You _left_ me!” David says, much too loud. He lowers his voice and continues. “Once you got to be about 12, you were never home anymore! You were off getting kidnapped by obscure princes or disappearing on cruise ships in the middle of hurricanes or _fuck_ , I didn’t even know where you were half the time. _I_ was the one who was all alone in that big, deserted house.”

“Well, I’m sorry, David.” Alexis flips her hair off her shoulder in annoyance. “You could have left too, you know!” 

“Oh, really? If I had disappeared somewhere, who would have sent you passports or money or colored contacts whenever you were in trouble? Who would have organized Mom’s wigs when she was too high to see straight? Someone had to be at home!” David flips over to his other side to face the wall and pulls the covers up over his head.

“David,” Alexis says, but David ignores her. “Dayyyy-viiiid.” She drags his name out several syllables. There’s a rustling sound and then his mattress dips as Alexis sits down beside him. She paws at his shoulder until he finally turns around to face her again. “I’m sorry, David. Were you really lonely?”

David shrugs noncommittally. 

“I was really lonely. That’s why I never liked to be at home. I always felt so lonely there. Even when Mom and Dad were home, even when they had parties with a hundred people, it always felt so empty. I didn’t even think about how you must have felt when I left.”

David scoots over slightly and pulls back the covers, giving Alexis the space to lie down beside him. Alexis would always crawl under the covers of David’s bed when she had nightmares as a child. The bed was much larger than the motel’s tiny twin, and they were little kids, not fully grown adults. It’s uncomfortable and crowded, but it somehow feels very reassuring. Not that David will ever admit that to Alexis or anyone else. 

“I guess that was pretty selfish of me, huh?” Alexis says after a few minutes. She’s twirling a strand of hair around her finger and looks uncharacteristically anxious. “I’m sorry I was so selfish back then, David.”

“You’re still really selfish.” David raises an eyebrow.

“Ugh! Rude, David!” Alexis smacks David on the chest, which starts a shoving match that only ends when David falls off the side of the bed in a painful reminder of Alexis’ surprising strength. 

Alexis peeks over the side of the bed, holding a pillow over half her face and clearly expecting retaliation from David. She looks so ridiculous and so like her childhood self with her bedhead and wide eyes that David bursts out laughing. Alexis looks briefly suspicious but quickly dissolves into uncontrollable giggles, rolling over onto her back with her head hanging over the side of the bed. She starts making upside down faces at David and he laughs until tears are streaming down his face. 

When David finally manages to catch his breath, he sits up and leans against the wall. “You’re not as selfish as you used to be.”

Alexis rolls back onto her stomach and looks at David, a small furrow between her eyebrows. “I think… I think we’ve all sort of changed since we moved here. I mean, it sucks that we live in this tiny, gross motel and share a wall with Mom and Dad, but… It doesn’t feel so lonely anymore, you know?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” David says softly.

“Even though it’s super annoying when Mom and Dad won’t leave us alone, I think I kind of like that they’re here now, and they care. I’m sorry I left you alone so much before. I did miss you, you know. When we were little, it always felt like it was you and me against the world. Or something cheesy like that. So I did miss you when we were older and I was away.”

“I missed you too, Alexis. I think I’m actually really glad we’re here in Schitt’s Creek.” David can hardly believe that he’s saying this, but he’s surprised to find that he means it. 

“I think I’m glad too.” Alexis smiles brightly and offers David a hand to help him stand up. 

The adjoining door opens and their parents walk in, Dad with his ridiculous Ebenezer nightgown and Mom with her finest sleep vest.

“We heard some sort of commotion coming from here. Is everything alright, kids?” 

“Yes, what is this pandemonium transpiring in these wee hours of our slumber?”

“Oh, my god! Get out!” David and Alexis shout in unison. 

After several minutes of shouting from everyone, including a grumpy motel guest from next door, they finally manage to shoo their overbearing parents back to their own room. Once settling back in their respective beds, David turns to Alexis and finds her already looking back. They share a private smile, and David knows that his sister is thinking the same thing as him. This has been the best Rose family Christmas ever.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on tumblr [@landofsonlali](https://landofsonlali.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
